Letter from publisher- encouraging or no?

SevenTractors

Hi all, long time reader, first time poster.

Just a kind of a general query for those with a bit more knowledge than I- a few years ago I quit my job and while I applied for new ones I started writing a novel. I had always wanted to write, had the idea swimming around in my head for a while.

Anyway wrote a few chapters and synopsis and, encouraged by my OH, sent it off to a publisher. Publisher wrote back and asked for more, as much as I had written.

Unfortunately in the meantime OH had lost his job and I had job offers and for economic reasons had to take a new job pronto which meant a long commute, then we had a baby, then another etc etc. Never wrote anymore. Now starting to see the light of day again and starting to write again.

Looking for encouragement really, I suppose. Is the letter from the publishers something that practically everyone gets ( don't give up the day job just yet buddy) or in any way encouraging?

blacon9

The letter from the publisher means you were on the right track, possibly even the verge of being published. You were so silly to stop writing at that point, you were looking at the light at the end of the tunnel.

That letter is what all aspiring writers hope for and you got it. So you should seriously continue that book and send it again. Youre obviously doing something right.

Best of luck!

SevenTractors

blacon9 wrote: »

That letter is what all aspiring writers hope for and you got it. So you should seriously continue that book and send it again. Youre obviously doing something right.

Jesus, really? Really?:o

Just last night my OH said to me that he was so sorry that I wasn't able to continue writing that time. He produced the letter which, TBH, I thought I'd lost, but he'd kept it. Actually he said he felt sorry FOR me. Which was honest, maybe, but a bit of a bitter pill.

Actually I don't think I could continue that book. I'm in a very different place now. But maybe I'll keep trying.

alfa beta

don't fret that you missed your chance

most aspiring writers would give anything to receive encouragement of that nature from a publisher - seriously - 99 times out of 100 it's a straightforward pfo. What it means is that you can write - and that's not a skill you'll have mysteriously lost in the past few years!

So now that you have a bit of time again, you should absolutely get back to doing something you obviously like and something you're obviously good at.

Also the intervening years will only have brought you new experiences and new ideas.

Just like you I wrote a work of fiction a good few years back and received an encouraging reply from an agent. And just like you circumstances changed and I had to drop the whole shebang. I recently found the letter and started rereading the old manuscript - and while I liked what I read (And laughed at the funny bits I'd totally forgotten I'd written) in a way I was glad I hadn't taken it any further and that it had never been published.

The reason - Well now that I'm a dad and a husband and someone who's been hired and fired and self-employed and unemployed, now that I've found people to love and lost people I've loved, now that I've travelled and seen things and stayed still and seen even more things.....well, it all means I've a lot more to say than I had all those years ago!

Unlike you though, I still don't have the time to say it!!

Best of luck - and keep in touch.

claire h

Letter from publisher = very encouraging. It means they like what they see enough to want to check that the rest is as good. They're far, far more likely to turn people down at the 'first three chapters' stage than after having asked to see more.

However: if you find that you're in situations often where you feel like you 'can't write', whether for time or other reasons, it might be best to step back from submitting for a while. Reason for this is that publishers will rarely just want one book from you - you'll be asked to sign a two- or three-book deal. Also you'll need to make time to get revisions and proofs back to them in the year/months leading up to actual publication - you need to be sure that you can do all this while still keeping your day job as it's very unusual that you'd be making enough to live off straight away (even if you get a huge advance, which is again very rare, that means you may not see any more money for a long time, so you need to be careful). It's like taking on a second job - one which is very enjoyable and very rewarding but sometimes is hard work, and probably isn't going to pay that much. So it might be worth being sure you're okay with that concept before submitting again, just so you don't get yourself into a legal agreement that's not quite what you imagined.

ladyofthelake

If you actually get a response of any kind from a publisher, that is usually a good sign. You have to remember that they get thousands of cold calls and now usually don't even bother with a polite *uck off form letter. Even if you go through the trouble of submitting a complete manuscript they may not even send a "we have received and shredded your manuscript". SO, the fact that they wanted more is a VERY good sign. Complete your manuscript and send it in, tell them why you were on hiatus, they will surely understand.

Renseignement

Getting published is often nothing about the quality of the book you have written. I have just had my autobiography published (comes out 1st September) and how I eventually got there is a story in itself.

I knew that there were only two ways of doing it, self-publishing where you end up spending a lot of money and fill the spare room with them, or find a publisher.

I soon realised that you normally need a literary agent and looked up agents on the internet until I saw one that sounded a bit like my own name. I sent off my story to him only to get the usual rejection, but, he said that although it wasn't his kind of thing, he knew someone in Australia who might help so could he send it to him. I said yes and got an email a few weeks later from this guy saying that he wasn't in publishing but had read my story and could he send it to his brother who might help. Off it went again to be followed up by an email from the head of security at a British Embassy. He was the brother of the guy in Australia and obviously not a publisher but had a friend who was, could he forward it to him. A couple of weeks later I got a phone call from the publisher saying that he had read it and would publish it.

So there you are, my book went round the world and has ended up in Yorkshire being published by the worlds largest publisher in my particular speciality (Military).

So the message to all would-be authors is don't give up and explore every route that is open to you. You never know.

Now I'm all smiles and excited at it coming out.
:):)

DublinWriter

claire h wrote: »

Letter from publisher = very encouraging. It means they like what they see enough to want to check that the rest is as good. They're far, far more likely to turn people down at the 'first three chapters' stage than after having asked to see more.

Seconded. Most publishers can't even be bothered to read a one-page plot summary from unknowns, never mind several chapters.

You had definite interest there OP - but one word of warning, don't get into writing if you're primarily looking for financial stability

miec

Congrats on that Op

I would add that you should finish the work as well before sending it off because it shows you can follow a work through, which is what I believe a lot of publishers/agents look for in a writer.

SevenTractors

Thanks to all who replied. Yes, I realise that ( given track record) this time I would have to finish something before submitting again. I need to finish for my own sake anyway to prove to myself that I can stick with it.

Don't know how long it will take though and now I'm the sole earner again ( OH has gone back to university) so we still need my day job. But at least if I start writing in the evenings again it'll be something.

When OH finishes his course I always intended to work part-time ( spend more time with our children) so maybe will be able to write more once they are both in school.

D-FENS

Who was the publisher?...

harrymchoudi

Renseignement wrote: »

Getting published is often nothing about the quality of the book you have written. I have just had my autobiography published (comes out 1st September) and how I eventually got there is a story in itself.

I knew that there were only two ways of doing it, self-publishing where you end up spending a lot of money and fill the spare room with them, or find a publisher.

I soon realised that you normally need a literary agent and looked up agents on the internet until I saw one that sounded a bit like my own name. I sent off my story to him only to get the usual rejection, but, he said that although it wasn't his kind of thing, he knew someone in Australia who might help so could he send it to him. I said yes and got an email a few weeks later from this guy saying that he wasn't in publishing but had read my story and could he send it to his brother who might help. Off it went again to be followed up by an email from the head of security at a British Embassy. He was the brother of the guy in Australia and obviously not a publisher but had a friend who was, could he forward it to him. A couple of weeks later I got a phone call from the publisher saying that he had read it and would publish it.

So there you are, my book went round the world and has ended up in Yorkshire being published by the worlds largest publisher in my particular speciality (Military).

So the message to all would-be authors is don't give up and explore every route that is open to you. You never know.

Now I'm all smiles and excited at it coming out.
:):)

Hi, may i ask what the title is, I would be interested in checking it out, thanks in advance

Renseignement

harrymchoudi wrote: »

Hi, may i ask what the title is, I would be interested in checking it out, thanks in advance

I don't want to use this forum as an advertising medium.
Put Alex Lochrie into Amazon Books and you will find it.

harrymchoudi

Renseignement wrote: »

I don't want to use this forum as an advertising medium.
Put Alex Lochrie into Amazon Books and you will find it.

So are you going under the name of "Alex L" in the French Foreign Legion Thread?

Renseignement

harrymchoudi wrote: »

So are you going under the name of "Alex L" in the French Foreign Legion Thread?

And you?:)

DublinWriter

Renseignement wrote: »

I knew that there were only two ways of doing it, self-publishing where you end up spending a lot of money and fill the spare room with them, or find a publisher.

Three ways - you can also use an agent.

Good look with the buke!

Renseignement

DublinWriter wrote: »

Three ways - you can also use an agent.

Good look with the buke!

Part of my 'Quote' from my original post.
[quote=
I soon realised that you normally need a literary agent and looked up agents on the internet until I saw one that sounded a bit like my own name. I sent off my story to him etc, ect, ect.

There is no doubt that agents play a major part in the publishing industry, but finding the one for you is the problem. There are lots of so-called ''agents' out there who say that for a 'small' fee they will do a critic of your book, edit it into presentable form, bla, bla, bla. Very few will actually get your book published.

If you can find the right person to speak to at a publishers, ask them what agents they work with or can they rcommend one. You will find that it comes down to a handfull.

It can be fustrating but if you believe that what you have writen is something that others will want to read, don't give up. You will get there in the end.

Locamon

Great piece in the indo on Saturday on famous writers getting rejection letters...

Heller for Catch 22 editor just didn't get it
Austen asked to send some money so they could send her the rejected manuscript

and many more

beauty is in the eye of the beholder:)